This invention relates generally to an article of athletic apparel and, more particularly, to an article of athletic apparel that includes a moisture absorbent pad for absorbing perspiration from the hands of a participant wearing the apparel.
In many active sports, particularly those in which a racquet is employed such as tennis and racquetball, the perspiration on a participant's hands is troublesome and can result in a deterioration of his performance. Athletes confronted with this problem have previously resorted to accessories such as absorbent wristbands and towels. However, wristbands generally fail to prevent a buildup of perspiration on a participant's hands and the use of towels retained in positions removed from a field of play are accessible only during a hiatus in the contest. In attempts to alleviate this latter problem, many athletes carry towels or other moisture absorbent items with them when actually engaged in the athletic event. Typically, this is accomplished by carrying a towel on the participant's clothing, for example, by insertion into a pocket or behind the waistband of a pair of shorts. These attempts to solve the perspiration buildup problem are generally less than satisfactory for a variety of reasons. For example, a towel loosely held by the waistband of a participant's shorts tends to flop around during required movement by the participant and can thereby interfere with play. Also, towels or absorbent pads carried directly on the athlete's clothing tend to become saturated with body perspiration and thereby useless for the removal of moisture from the athlete's hands.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an article of athletic apparel that can be utilized to remove perspiration from a wearer's hands during participation in an athletic contest and which does not impede or in any way interfere with play.